6/14/2011

Strawberry Dream Cake

If you could take all the flavor of homemade strawberry ice cream and turn it into a cake, the end result would be this cake. It is a cake that tastes just as the name implies. Pink and dreamy.

Fresh and frozen strawberries are used for maximum strawberry flavor. The frozen ones are pressed of their juice. The juice is then added to the batter and the pulp is added to the frosting. The fresh strawberries are sliced and sandwiched between the cake layers. Then it is all frosted with a strawberry-cream cheese frosting that might have been the genesis for the phrase "to die for".

For the cakePreheat the oven to 350º F. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly spray with non-stick baking spray. Transfer frozen strawberries to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until the strawberries are soft and have released their juice, about 5 minutes. Place the strawberries in a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl. Firmly press fruit dry (juice should measure 3/4 cup); reserving strawberry solids. Transfer juice to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook stirring occasionally until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in milk to combine.

Whisk strawberry milk, egg whites, and vanilla in a bowl. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined. Add butter, 1 piece at a time and mix until only pea-size pieces remain, about 1 minute. Add half of milk mixture, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, add remaining milk mixture and beat just until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Give the batter a final stir by hand.

Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake until the cakes are lightly golden, about 20-25 minutes. Cool cakes in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans, discarding parchment, and cool completely, about 2 hours. (Cooled cakes can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

For the frostingUsing a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and sugar on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese one piece at a time and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add reserved strawberry solids, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use for up to 2 days.

Pat the strawberry slices dry with paper towels. Place one cooled cake round on a serving plate. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over the top of the cake. Press 1 cup of the strawberries in an even layer over the frosting and cover with an additional 3/4 cup frosting. Place the second cake round on top and spread remaining frosting over the top and sides of cake. Garnish the cake with the remaining strawberry slices. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Enjoy!

33 comments:

MMM1! I've not made a strawberry cake in years and years! I remember making them as a kid, you know, the ones from the box with all the fake flavors and thinking I didn't like Strawberry Cakes, but then I made a real one. Yes please!!

Oh wow! Thanks for this recipe! I've been searching for a strawberry cake recipe from scratch. The ingredients for adapting the boxed mixes aren't available in the UK, and every strawberry cake recipe I find starts with a boxed mix.

Hi Nicole, thank you so very much for your recipe. I made it as is, decided too against all the colourants etc. But we have a wee secret weapon I think out here. Suddenly on the shelves I saw that Strawberry Angel's Delite has returned to our neck of the woods. We grew up with this stuff. It said on the pack No colourants, no preservatives and check this out... NO artificial flavouring. Wow. I though it was too good to be true but honestly for some reason after testing with a drop of water it turned pink-ish in front of my very eyes. So used half a pack of it in the cake and half a pack in the icing, together with some melted white chocolate. The cake came out slightly pinkier, but not a greatly different from yours. Perhaps a bit heavier. Well, took one to my son's engineering works and the boys there had never heard of strawberry cake, they devoured it in front of me. 2 people said it was the nicest cake they'd ever eaten and please could they order some. No chance. Thank you so much. Will send a pic to your email, just so that you can see. I feel almost proud.

Gosh, strawberry cake - I cannot remember the last time I had and honestly, I do not think I have ever had a recipe for it! I am going to have to make this one very soon - I love your recipe, all the ingredients look great! Thanks for sharing!

I tried this recipe yesterday and my frosting was very runny. It would not stay on the cake. I have made cream cheese frostings in the past with no problems. There was a great deal of liquid left in the reserved berries. I thought to myself, "I should drain this extra liquid." I did not and can only assume that is why my frosting was so runny. Any ideas? Thank you. (The taste was great, but quite messy.)

You thought right:) It sounds like the reserved berry solids were not strained enough. They need to be pressed completely dry. I like to use my potato ricer with a small hole disk to squeeze dry the berries. Glad you enjoyed the overall flavor and I hope you give it a go again.

Nicole,I have tried a few of your recipes and I think this one is my new favourite! My son has been on the quest for a cake he actually likes for his birthday in mid july for years as he typically won't eat the chocolate and vanilla cakes that are so common. I showed him the photo of this one and he said YES PLEASE! I made it (with self rising flour, so did not add baking powder or salt) and it turned out amazing! Thank you so much for posting this. I also made a second one with regular all purpose flour (sifted 3 times) and the original ingredients. The texture is slightly more dense, but in a bind and no cake flour in the pantry, it still does quite nicely. :)

A friend of mine wanted strawberry cake for her birthday and I stumbled across your website in my desperate search for a recipe, never having made a strawberry cake before. This was a huge hit! Everyone really enjoyed it and, thanks to you, my first strawberry cake was a smash. And the frosting was maybe the best I've ever tasted. Thanks!!

Hi! I made this cake last summer for a friend's birthday and I can't say enough how impressed everybody was by it! Thanks so much for the recipe! I am considering making it again this week for another birthday, but I have a question before I do it. Last time the cake was just a bit too dense for my taste, and I'd like to fluff it up just a bit. In fact most cakes I bake are a bit too dense for my taste. Just curious if you have any easy tips for making cakes a bit lighter :) thanks!

Do not substitute the whole eggs for the whites. The extra whites make for a tender fluffy cake. Instead use the yolks in another recipe like Meyer Lemon Curd http://www.thegalleygourmet.net/2012/04/meyer-lemon-curd.htmlor Chocolate Espresso Crème Brûlée http://www.thegalleygourmet.net/2013/04/sunday-dinner_14.html.

I've made this recipe and follow it to a "T". The frosting is like the best gourmet strawberry ice cream you've ever had. I multiply the frosting recipe to 1.5 for extra. Just remember to only use 1\4 cup of reduced juice in the cake batter